Governor for electro-magnetic brake-circuits



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. F. CARD.

GOVERNOR FOR BLEOTRO MAGNETIC BRAKE CIRCUITS.

N0.v 369,917. Patented Sept. 13, 1887.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. P. CARD.

GOVERNOR FOR ELECTRO MAGNETIC BRAKE CIRCUITS.

No. 369,917. Patented Sept. 13, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()EFIcE.

GEORGEF. CARD, ,OF OOVINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY K. LINDSEY, OFCINCINNATI, OHIO.

GOVERNOR FOR ELECTRO-MAGNETIC BRAKE-CIRCUITS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 869,917, datedSeptember 13, 1887.

Application filed January 17, 1887. Serial No. 224,590. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. CARD, of Covington, Kenton county,Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Governor for Electro'MagneticBrake-Circuits, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for automatic regulation of the currentforce in an electromagnetic brake-operating circuit to correspond withthe load of each car or vehicle composing a railway-train.

\Vith the above object in view I provide for each vehicle in the line orcircuit a loop or shunt comprising a series of resistances whoseautomatic inclusion in or exclusion from such shunt-circuit causesvariation in the shuntcurrent, with corresponding but inverse variationin the main or brake-operating current on each respective vehicle.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a portionof the runninggear of a railway-car provided with my governor. Fig. 2 isa top view of such governor on a larger scale. Fig. 3 represents thesame apparatus in the condition it assumes on an empty or nearly emptycar. Fig. 4 represents a form of my apparatus for very strong current.Fig. 5 represents its rheostat on a larger scale.

All the figures show the resistance-box in section.

A represents a portion of the lower timber or frame of a railway-cartruck, and B a portion of its upper timber or frame supported by springs0 upon the frame A, so as to be capable of vertical oscillation withrespect to it.

D represents a portion of a car-body resting upon timber B and risingand falling therewith. The upward oscillations of timber B are limitedby stops 2).

E represents a part of that portion of the line of an electromagneticcircuit which ineludes the brake-magnets, the position of one of whichis indicated diagrammatically by a circle marked brake-magnet.

e e are the outgoing and returning lines of a loop or shunt which,leaving the main line at a point on one side of the brake-magnet,

joins said line on the other side of said magnet. The line 6 haspermanent metallic coutaot with a fulcrum, F, that projects from theside of the timber B. The fulcrum F carries and has electricalcommunication with a metallic lever, G, whose shorter arm, g, is, bymeans of a pivot, H, coupled to an arm, J, whose lower end is secured totimber A by means of a pivot, K. A series of holes, in the arm 9 of thelever G permit location of the pivot H nearer to or farther from thefulcrum F. The long arm g of the lever G carries a spring, L, whichpresses upon one or other of a series of contact-plates, M, of whichplates the lowermost one is wholly insulated, so as to completelyrupture the shunt and to compel all the current to traverse the mainline whenever the oscillating frame or timber B is so depressed by itssuperincumbent load as to bring the spring in contact with the saidlowermost plate. The other contact-plates communicate consecutively withone another and the uppermost plate with the return shuntline 6' througha series of resistance-coils, N.

The contact-plates and resistance-coils are preferably protected fromdust and violence by a box, 0, having a slot, 0, for thevertically-oscillating spring L.

I prefer in most cases to use and have here described a rheostatcomposed of a series of contact -plates and resistancecoils; but in someapplications of my governor as, for example, where very strong currentsare employed-I may have recourse to a rheostat of other customary orappropriate costructiousuch, for instance, as those whoseresistance isdependent upon masses of carbon or graphiteand of which a form isrepresented in Figs. 4 and 5, in which U-formed masses R of gas-retortcarbon take the place of the wire-coils N. The said masses may beembedded in a gangue, S, of any suitable nonconductiug substance, suchas plaster-of-paris.

It is well known that, compared with a brake-pressure necessary to slowdown or stop a heavily-laden car, that requisite for an empty or nearlyempty car is very much less. This fact is compensated for in my presentinvention in the following manner: ith an empty or comparativelyunloaded condition of the carsuch as indicated in Fig. 3-a large portionof the current is shunted around the brake-magnet of that particularcar, and the magnets activity, and consequently the brake action, isthereby lessened. In a more heavily laden condition of the oar-such, forexample, as indicated in Fig. 1--additional resistances are included inthe shunt, so as to relatively increase the strength of themagnet-circuit by compelling a larger portion of the current to traverseit, and by consequence to secure a more efl'ective brake action. A stillfurther loading of the car, suificient to bring the spring Lin contactwith the lowermost contact-plate, operates to completely rupture theshunt and to compel the entire charge to traverse the brake circuit,accompanied by correspondingly-strong brake action. By this means anumber of unequallyloaded portions of a train can be made to stop in thesame time, instead of with the customary irregular and injurious actionin which the more heavily laden cars crowd forward and butt against theretarded cars in front of them. The width of each contact-plate Mcoincident with are of vibrations of the spring L is preferably suchthat the resistances will not ordinarily be modified by any verticaloscillations of the car incident to slight unevennesses of the track,yet not such but that excessive oscillations will modify the resistancessufiiciently on the one hand to insure against brake-pressure, whichwould be liable to cause grind of the wheels along the track, (aliability which is of course in inverse ratio to the cars downstress atany given instant,) and on the other hand to secure vigorousbrake-pressu re during excessive downstress of such car.

I claim herein as new and of my invention- 1. A governor for anelectromagnetic brakecircuit,consisting of a shunt around thebrakeniagnet, a rheostat included in said shunt, and mechanism wherebythe resistance of said rheostat is "aried with the load on the car.

2. The combination of an electro-magnetic circuit dominating a-car-brake, and a shunt to the brake-magnet containing a series ofresistances and contact-plates, with a conducting-lever upon theoscillating member of the car-truck, said lever being pivoted to an armupon the main member of the car-truck, asset forth.

3. The combination,with the magnet-line of an electromagnetic circuitfor carbrakes, of the resistances N, the shunt c e, having communicationwith said resistances, the contact-plate M, and lever G, havingcontactspring L on one member of the truck-frame, said lever beingcoupled to an arm extending from another member of the truck-frame,withrespect to which said first member oscillates, as and for the purposesset forth.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE F. CARD.

Attest:

GEORGE H. KNIGHT, E. M. WILLIAMS.

